The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #56121

Winfred Aweyire Avogo, MA, Navrongo Health Resrach Centre, Ghana Health Service, Navrongo, P. O. Box 114, Navrongo, Upper East Region, Ghana, 233-742-22310, wavogo@navrongo.mimcom.net, Cornelius Debpuur, PhD, Navrongo Health Research Centre, P.O. Box 114, Navrongo, Ghana, and Philomena Nyarko, PhD, Regional Institute for Population Studies, (RIPS) University of Ghana, Legon, P.O. Box 96, Accra, Ghana.

This paper investigates the association between social interaction and contraceptive use in the Kassena-Nankana District in sahelian Northern Ghana. The data used for this analysis is drawn from a social network Survey of 4,393 women aged 15-49 from the study area of the Navrongo Health Research Centre.

Bivariate analysis techniques were used to investigate the relationship between social interaction and demographic and socio-economic factors and also between social interaction indicators and contraceptive use. A logistic regression model was estimated to predict the probability of use and non-use of contraception given a set of socio-economic and social interaction covariates.

Analysis showed that dynamics and member characteristics of a respondent’s social network were explanatory of family planning behaviour in a setting where customs of bridewealth, marriage and family building emphasize the importance of childbearing to the corporate family.

The analysis demonstrated that reporting more social network partners with whom the respondent interacts on issues of childbearing was associated with a greater likelihood of contraceptive use. Furthermore, receiving encouragement from social network partners to adopt modern contraception was significantly associated with modern method use after controlling for the confounding effects of individual characteristics.

The study thus maintains that information alone is not sufficient to provide the rational for a reduced demand for children in pronatalist societies. Needed are interventions that increase social learning and the joint evaluation of information and ideas in terms that are meaningful in the local context.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of this session a participant (Learner) will be able to:
• *Apply network analysis to contraceptive behavior in a rural district in Northern Ghana
• *Articulate the relevance of interpersonal discussions and informal networks in modern contraceptive use
• *Recognise the use of network analysis as a practical and cost effective means of promoting the campaign on Family planning

Keywords: Contraceptives, Family Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Upper East Region, Ghana
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment